


Breaking the Fourth Wall

by melodramatic



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Forests, M/M, Ohio, Pretty self-explanitory, becoming self-aware
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-14 21:04:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10544314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melodramatic/pseuds/melodramatic
Summary: In which Tyler and Josh are too smart for their own good, and realize they are meant to bend to the creative will of The Author.





	

The first time Tyler noticed something was off, he was sitting with Josh by the river somewhere behind Tyler's house.

He was laying on his back, staring up at the sky, with Josh right next to him. The air was warm, the birds were chirping, and they talked about whatever they wanted. 

It was their own little world. And Tyler was curious.

"Josh?" Tyler asked, keeping his attention towards the sky.

"Yeah?"

"Doesn't it feel like we've done this before?"

Josh turned his head towards Tyler and cocked an eyebrow, "We have done this before."

"No, I know, but. This feels like déjà vu. Not necessarily this moment, but. Like we've fallen in love before. In another life or something."

Josh stared at Tyler for a few long moments, as he waited for a punch line. 

No punch line came.

"Uh-huh."

"I'm serious, Josh. Something is weird."

_(The author's heart skipped a beat)_

"Tyler, are you okay?"

Tyler turned his head to look at Josh and nodded.

"I'm fine. Just - nevermind. Nevermind. I didn't get much sleep last night."

Josh slowly nodded his head and turned his attention back to the sky, linking his hand with Tyler's, and pointing at a cloud with his other hand.

Tyler listened to Josh speak, but half of his mind was elsewhere. He wondered about devine beings above the clouds, and he wondered about the afterlife. He had so many questions.

Instead of letting them stew, however, he stopped thinking and chimed in on Josh's monologue about his favorite kind of sky.

....

Tyler pushed a shopping cart around the grocery store as Josh stood on the end of it, laughing whenever Tyler lost control of the cart, and knocked it into a shelf, causing Josh to stick his arm out, desperately trying to keep the items from falling to the floor. 

Josh hopped off of the cart before they got in trouble and reached towards the top shelf for a pack of taco shells.

"Let's make tacos tonight," He said, putting the shells into the cart.

"You suck at cooking, though," Tyler replied, a laughter under his tone.

Josh scoffed, "I do not suck!"

Tyler just laughed, entertained at how easy it was to rile Josh up. 

And Josh was going to say something, but he couldn't stop himself from watching Tyler laugh. He loved the way the boy's laugh was loud and creaky, but still suited his character so well.

"What?" Tyler asked, his laughter dying down.

Josh shook his head, "Nothing. You're just super cute," He kissed him on the forehead, and Tyler blushed.

But he didn't quite get the chance to say anything, before he caught sight of a man that caused static in his brain. He man was clearly a construction worker, judging by the bright vest and hard hat, but his hands were caked in a dark black substance.

_(The author cursed)_

And for some reason, it made Tyler's heart stop.

A life flashed before his eyes. A life he was unfamiliar with. He saw pianos, drums, crowds, and insecurities being melted away on stage. He saw Josh with red around his eyes, and he saw himself with black on his hands and his neck.

But when he blinked himself back to the grocery store, the man's hands were no longer black. They were clean, as if he had just washed them.

"Tyler? Are you okay?" Josh asked, stopping whatever he was doing to look at the boy that had stopped.

He shook his head, "Something's wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you see that man?"

"Which one?"

"The cunstruction worker."

"Yeah. What about him."

"His hands were just black. They were black, Josh, and then it made me... like... someone's life flashed before my eyes. I don't know whose, but it was like we were famous for a second. Both you and I."

Josh looked back at Tyler, and then back at the man again. Josh pushed a strand of fringe out if Tyler's face.

"Is it like what you mentioned before? Like déjà vu?"

Tyler nodded, "It was exactly like that."

Josh furrowed his eyebrows, "Let's keep on the watch for other weird stuff like that."

Tyler nodded again, and Josh guided him by the small of his back for the rest of their trip.

....

The two boys were sitting in Josh's room, unsuccessfully trying to study for the school finals. Instead, they were laying length-wise on Josh's bed, watching funny YouTube videos. 

Except Tyler was so deep in thought, he forgot to laugh when he was supposed to.

"Josh, I have a question."

He hummed and paused the video, turning to Tyler, their faces hardly apart. 

"We live in Ohio, right?" Tyler asked.

Josh blinked, "Yeah, of course. We were born and raised here."

"Tell me about it."

Josh squinted his eyes and looked to the side, thinking for a second, "What do you mean?"

"Like, tell me about Ohio," Tyler's tone indicated he was on to something.

He thought for another moment.

"Well, it consists of about 12 million people, the capital is Columbus, it's known for-"

"No, like, tell me something you wouldn't be able to find on the internet. Tell me about the little nooks and crannies that only an actual resident would know."

Josh pursed his lips, and looked down at his hands. 

"Um... well... there's..."

Tyler raised an eyebrow.

"I... I don't know."

Tyler rearranged himself so that he was sitting criss-cross on the bed, and Josh did the same, with his eyebrows now furrowed closely together. 

"Exactly! Isn't it a little weird to you that we've lived here our whole lives, but we can only recite the same facts you'd find on the internet?" Tyler asked, his voice raising in pitch.

Josh didn't say anything.

_(The author watched intently)_

"And where are our families?" Tyler said, going to the bedroom door and opening it, scanning the house to see that no one was there.

"Don't you find it odd that we're always so conveniently left alone whenever we need to be?"

Suddenly the living room door opened, and the rest of Josh's family came through, laughing about a movie they had just come back from.

"Convienient," Josh said under his breath.

Tyler closed the bedroom door and went back to sit down next to Josh.

"Do you see what I mean?" He asked quietly.

Josh nodded, "I do. I see what you mean. This is weird.

Tyler took a deep breath, "Agreed."

....

The two boys did research. And lots of it. Neither of them told their families about their theory, because they did not want any obstacles in their way. Things seemed to be against them enough as it was. 

They found several travel guides to Ohio, and in one of the more low-grade ones, there was half of a page about an abandoned house in the Brush Creek state forest. There was hardly any talk about it, because of how hard it was to find, and even when the more adventerous people found it, they were cursed with an unfortunate instance that made them turn away before they could even knock on the door. 

It was said to be abandoned, but then again, no one could actually know for sure.

Tyler and Josh looked at each other with wide eyes. There was a feeling in their guts that told them this house had answers. 

It was too mysterious to be ignored. 

After school, the both of them found a table in the corner of the library and took out several travel guides, a map, and pens. 

"Okay, so," Tyler said, uncapping a red sharpie, "This is where we are. And this is where we need to be. The only problem is, is that the forest is huge."

The librarian rolled a cart right next to their table, and began putting newly returned books back.

"So how would we find the abandoned house?" Josh asked.

Tyler shrugged, "Not sure. We could ask around and see if anyone knows anything."

The librarian cleared her throat rather loudly, but the two boys paid her no mind.

"Where should we start?" Josh asked again.

Tyler made a dot on the map with his pen, "I'd say right here, in the westmost corner. Because then we could walk east from there, and cover most of the ground more efficiently."

The librarian cleared her throat again, but this time Tyler and Josh both looked towards her. She put a book on it's shelf, and then turned to them, leaning down.

"Are you two searching for The Author?" She asked.

Tyler cocked an eyebrow, "The Author of what?"

"Of us. The abandoned house is where The Author is rumored to live."

Tyler and Josh exchanged looks.

"Wait, what do you mean they're the author of us? We're not in a book," Josh said.

The woman sighed and shook her head, taking the red sharpie from Tyler's hand and drawing a small circle all the way in the back of the forest.

"Here is where The Author lives. That is all the information I can give you," She said, capping the pen and placing it on the table.

"Wait, how do you know this?" Tyler asked.

She blinked at him for a second, "I just know what I know. But you have to find The Author and stop them. They are far too powerful. Please, do it quickly before they find out what I've told you."

"What makes them so powerful?" Josh asked. 

_(The Author's knuckles cracked)_

The woman snapped her attention towards him and opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it. Her expression turned from knowledgeable to confused in less than a second. 

"Huh?" She asked.

"What makes The Author so powerful?" Josh repeated. 

The librarian shook her head, "Which author?"

Tyler and Josh exchanged a look.

"The Author in the woods. Right here, you told us where to find them," Tyler said, pointing at the red circle on the map.

She looked at it and squinted, but then leaned back, placing a hand on her book cart, "Listen, unless you boys have a question about one of these books in the library here, I can't help you."

Tyler and Josh exchanged another completely baffled look. 

The librarian sighed, mumbled something about teenagers, and the pushed her book cart back to the front desk, where she continued doing her work. 

Their table was silent for a long moment, as they stared silently at the map.

"What the hell just happened?" Josh asked after a moment. 

Tyler rubbed his face with a hand, and sighed, "I have no idea."

The next day, when Tyler and Josh entered the library after school, they immediately went to the desk and asked for the older librarian they had seen yesterday.

"Oh, Ms. Niemand? She just turned in her letter of resignation this morning. No one knows why."

Tyler and Josh thanked her for the information, and sat in their usual table in the back of the library.

"Do you think it was The Author that made her resign?" Josh asked quietly. 

Tyler nodded.

....

It was late at night when Tyler and Josh packed a day's worth of clothing, food, and etc, and then headed out into the forest. They had no idea how long they were going to be, but they had told their parents that the two of them were going to take a few days to themselves, and no one questioned it. 

Their car only got so far into the forest before the trees became to dense, and the ground too thick for them to continue. So they got out of the car and walked. 

Tyler held the map, guiding them the correct way. They were going to make it there in one piece, Tyler was sure of it. He was determined.

While Tyler's eyes were glued to the map, Josh made sure to help the both of them avoid any potholes, wild animals, or other dangers that the forest possessed. 

"Are we almost there?" Josh asked at one point, taking a long drink from the water bottle in their backpack. 

Tyler nodded, "Yeah, I think so. It should be just up ahead."

Less than a mile of sharp leaves and bug-infested trees later, and they reached a large patch of empty forest. Both Tyler and Josh stopped walking, to look around.

Tyler looked down at the map, and then back up at the large, empty space. There was nothing. Just grass and brush.

He looked down again. This is where the circle was.

His heart sank into his stomach.

Until Josh raised his arm and pointed to a tree across the path, "Wait, is that it?"

Tyler's gaze shot up, and he followed Josh's finger. He squinted his eyes and could barely make out a large, well-hidden wooden structure high up in one of the trees. It was covered in leaves and vines, and was camouflaged so well, Tyler doubted for a second weather it was actually the "abandoned" house or not.

"Yes! That has to be it!" Tyler shouted, grabbing Josh's hand and racing towards it. 

They reached it in no time, and Tyler tucked the map into his pocket, climbing up indents in the tree to get to the treehouse. Josh followed him, but more slowly, as he had never been a fan of heights. 

When they finally reached the top, they both took a deep breath and looked around. The space was actually rather nice. There was a small porch to sit on, and then a relatively large, sqaure house that appeared to be well maintained. 

Tyler and Josh exchanged looks before Tyler knocked on the door. 

There was no answer. 

Tyler knocked again, this time more forcefully, and the door creaked open. 

He looked back at Josh, who shrugged.

They stepped in carefully.

"Hello?" Tyler called out, "Is anyone in here?"

"Who asks?" A voice from somewhere to the right asked. 

Tyler and Josh both turned their attention towards the voice, and they saw a figure standing tall at the end of a hallway. 

"My name is Tyler. And this is Josh. We're looking for The Author."

The figure took a few steps forward, and when they came into the light, they were a lot less intimidating than they seemed. 

It was a young girl that had to be either in her late teens or early twenties. Her hair was thick and curly, and sat like an afro atop her head, and despite being a bit shorter than both Tyler and Josh, she stood as if she was taller than the both of them combined. 

When she got close enough, they could see that she was rather pretty in appearance. 

But her eyes were hollow, her bones creaked and cracked like rotting wood, and she looked far too young to have such a tortured walk. If Tyler didn't know any better, he would've assumed she was a poor-quality mannequin; there was no soul, no life beneath her skin.

"What is it you think The Author can give you?" She asked, her tone just as cold as her eyes. 

Tyler looked at Josh, then back to her, "We want answers. We want to know what happened to our world."

She scoffed at them, "It is not your world."

"Sorry?" Tyler asked.

"It is not your world," She repeated, "It is mine. You exist by my hand, and you can die by my hand."

Oh, Tyler was confused.

"I have no answers. Now turn back before your knowledge becomes too great for your own good." 

Josh stepped forward, "What do you mean we exist by your hand? Please, just tell us."

She shook her head, and blinked at the floor. When she looked back up, Tyler and Josh were staring at her in anticipation.

"If you really want to know, I can tell you. But you cannot un-know information. Once I tell you, your world will never be the same."

"Tell us," Tyler pleaded, before Josh could interject. 

She looked at them both for a long second, and began walking back towards the hallway, "Follow me."

Tyler and Josh linked hands as they walked with the strange, dead woman as she lead them into a room full of books, papers and pens. At the end of the room there was a desk and a computer. 

"What is all of this?" Tyler asked.

"This is you and Josh in different universes. This is me, weilding my power over the both of you. Only in this universe have you become aware of your own falsehood," She said, standing in the center of the room.

Tyler picked up one of the books and opened it to a page where a photograph had been tucked away.

It was him and Josh.

Except it wasn't.

It was Tyler with black-coated hands, and a red beanie on his head, shaping his hand into a gun and pointing it at Josh's forehead, who had bright red hair. The picture was dark, and sent chills down Tyler's spine. 

Josh came up behind Tyler and looked at the picture. 

"When did we ever do this?" Josh asked.

"You didn't, technically. Not in this universe. That was taken in the real universe," The Author said, her hands in her pockets.

"The real universe?" Tyler asked, his voice tortured. 

The Author sighed, "Yes. Everything you are, everything you are holding is a mere figment of my imagination. You are nothing but words on a page. In the real world you are a famous band, and you preform songs around the world."

Silence.

"But you," She pointed to Tyler directly, "And you," She pointed to Josh, "Do not actually exist. This universe does not exist. Not even I exist in this universe. I am merely a fictional manifestation of my real self."

Tyler felt nauseous, and he wished he had never come to this place. The more questions that were answered, the more he questions he had. He was not satisfied in the least bit, and even Josh stared blankly at the dark picture that shook in Tyler's hand. 

"What are we like in your other universes?" Josh asked, his voice low.

The Author shrugged, "I have many. Sometimes, you're sweet and innocent, and you fall in love with each other at the drop of a hat. Other times, you're disgusting, you lust for blood, and all you know is pain."

Tyler contorted his face, "Why would you make us like that?"

The Author shook her head, "It's not me." She tapped her head, "It's the spirits inside me. They tell me what to write."

Josh put his hand around Tyler's waist, sensing the way he was distressed. 

"Don't worry," She spoke up, "In the real world, it is not you I torture. It's the ones who casted me out. It's _their_ blood that _I_ lust for. In the real world, you're safe from my will."

"Shouldn't you maybe seek help?" Josh asked.

But The Author shook her head yet again, "I am too far gone for help. But again, you have not to worry. I will not be alive much longer. After I make those ones pay for what they've done to me, I will make myself pay. And then only then will your tortured universes cease to exist."

There was a lump in Josh's throat. 

"You're insane," Tyler said, his voice low.

"No. I am not insane," The Author claimed, "I am doing what has to be done. You couldn't understand." She turned away from the two men and sat at her desk, opening a document on her computer.

"I know you're distressed. I will fix that," She said. The sentence sounded like it was supposed to be kind, but if anything, it only made her sound even more cruel. 

Tyler wanted to go home. 

"In a few minutes, this entire experience will be wiped from your memory, and you'll start a whole new universe, meet all over again, and fall in love again. And do not think that you will ever be able to find me again."

Neither of them said anything. Josh pulled Tyler into a tight hug, and took a deep breath, giving him a soft kiss on the lips. There were tears in both of their eyes. 

Tyler opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly everything was black, and his mind was non-existent. 

....

There was a river behind Tyler's house that he loved to take his dog on walks around. One day, there was a man with bright pink hair who did the same thing. Their dogs stopped to sniff each other, and both of the owner's laughed.

"Hi, I'm Tyler."

"I'm Josh. Nice to meet you."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading. This was a lot shorter than I expected it to be, but. I guess that's just how things go.  
> Please comment, I'd love to know what you thought.
> 
> My tumblr is ClinicallyForgotten if you'd like to stop by.  
> Stay alive, friends


End file.
